A True Long Distance Relationship

Opening Presents

2011-02-01T21:24:00.002-05:00

Prior to traveling to NY for the holidays, we went to VA and celebrated Christmas with my parents and also opened each others' presents at my apartment. (Luckily my roomie was there, so she took pics for us!)

Here I am opening my presents. I thought this was a great pic because I can only imagine what he could have been saying in order for him to get this facial expression. :-) HAHA. It definitely shows the type of relationship we have...a fun, goofy, loving one!

Kisses after opening the presents!

I got these beautiful Pandora earrings which I will probably be wearing to the batallion ball coming up. I also got a new watch...I will post pics later about that and explain the story of why I don't have it at the moment.

Hope everybody's holidays were wonderful. I can't believe that A has been home for almost 2 months now and that Valentine's day is now sneaking up.

Time Apart

2011-01-23T22:00:00.002-05:00

After A got back from deployment we spent 6 days together, followed by 5 days apart, and then 29 days together! It was an amazing 29 days together and I would not have traded any second of it. However, I really hate being apart now. I got so used to having him around. Now he has been back in GA, while I'm still in VA for 8 days and I REALLY don't like it. So, it's a good thing that he'll be back up here next weekend...but it really needs to go by quickly. This whole 2 weeks without seeing each other thing is going to get really old. But unfortunately with my internship, my life is crazy and I can't exactly expect him to come up EVERY weekend. So I will just have to enjoy every second that I get! :-)

Starting this week...look forward to some pictures from his leave!

In the Beginning...

2011-01-07T15:09:00.003-05:00

of leave that is! We are still on leave, but I finally have a chance to do a little blogging. So, I figured that I would start with the beginning of leave and fill you all in on what's been going on. Well, A got home in the first week of December. I was able to spend almost a week with him before I had to go back to VA to finish finals. After finals, I went back to GA to spend 5 days there before his leave began. Well, we were traveling to VA to celebrate Christmas with my family and then getting on the road the next day to NY to get to A's parents' before the holidays were here. Our last night in GA, we were having some friends over for dinner. We only had one car (his car was in NY during the deployment) so he had taken my car to work and then came to get me to do grocery shopping. He was only working half days so it was not a big deal. But by the time I get back to the apartment I really needed to finish cleaning up and starting things for dinner. A decided that he wanted to clean out the car some before being in it for 2 straight days. I totally understood, but there was no way that I could help with that. He had no problem with that and off he went to change the oil and vacuum the car. Much to my surprise...when he came home, he had cleaned out the whole thing, got a steering wheel cover, seat covers for the front seats, and put air freshners in. Isn't he something?! :-) A little early Christmas present. As he said, he knows that I do not really have time to clean it out with school and stuff, so he was happy to do it for me when he had the chance. He's so great! Well here are some pictures of the new stuff...

(New seat covers...getting covered with dog fur already. HEHE)

(New Steering Wheel Cover and Air freshner in the air vent!)

Thanks A for being so wonderful!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T01:21:00.002-05:00

What do you get with 9 choir members, 1 choir director, 1 pianist, 1 priest, 1 altar boy, 1 lector, and 25 congregation members?...

A simple, but beautiful midnight mass in the north country!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!

I hope that you all have a fabulous Christmas with your friends and family. And for those of you who are away from family members this year, I pray that you all stay safe and stay strong!

And The Traveling Begins...

2010-12-21T23:43:00.002-05:00

It is that time now...A will finally be starting his leave tomorrow. At which point we will begin our travels. We will start by heading north to my parents' house in VA. We will get to spend the evening celebrating Christmas with them before A and I head to NY, and my parents head to Chicago to see my brother. All of us will be leaving VA on Thursday. Thursday will definitely be a day full of traveling since it is about an 11 to 12 hour drive to his parents' house from mine. It will all be worth it, and hey...it's 11 to 12 hours I get to spend with him, right?! :-) I'm looking forward to every minute of it. Pictures and posts will come later as the traveling starts and the good times continue!

Soldiers and Jesus

2010-12-20T10:57:00.002-05:00

I have been doing a lot of driving up and down I-95 in the last couple of weeks. Therefore, I have been listening to a lot of music. There have been multiple songs that have "hit me" while I listened to them and I thought I would share this one with you today. I feel like this song is very appropriate as we approach the holidays. All of our men and women in uniform have given so much up and many of them are away from their families right now. Also, the true reason for Christmas is because it is the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I would like to say, Thank You to all of our troops and Thank You Jesus!

Soldiers and Jesus: By - James Otto

Grand-daddy came home in a B-52
In a pine box covered in red, white, and blue
He was one of the brave and the proud and the few

Twenty-one guns helped us say goodbye
I stood there in silence tryin' not to cry
As the preacher, he quoted, lines written in red
And then folded his bible and in a broken voice, he said

There's only two people who's every died for me
Laid down their lives just so I could be free
They both went through hell, beared crosses and shells
And both got back up again after they fell

They never picked the fight, but they're there
To pick up the pieces

God only knows who we'd be without soldiers and Jesus

It seems like the news loves to run 'em both down
But whenever we need 'em, they're always around
So don't hand me a party's political views
'Cause they're a left side, a right side, and then there's the truth

There's only two people who's every died for me
Laid down their lives just so I could be free
They both went through hell, beared crosses and shells
And both got back up again after they fell

They never picked the fight, but they're there
To pick up the pieces
God only knows who we'd be without soldiers and Jesus

To me, they're both heroes for the path that they chose
'Cause one fights for my life, one fights for my soul

There's only two people who's every died for me
Laid down their lives just so I could be free
They both went through hell, beared crosses and shells
And both got back up again after they fell

They never picked the fight, but they're there
To pick up the pieces

God only knows where we'd be without soldiers and Jesus
Soldiers and Jesus

A Year Ago VS. A Week Ago

2010-12-14T18:24:00.003-05:00

Here we were a year ago right before saying goodbye but already having tears in the eyes...

And now, as of a week ago, we have been reunited and I couldn't be happier (even if we were outside in 20 degree weather and we were all freezing)!It is hard to believe that he is finally home, but it really does come to an end. I have been reminded over and over again as to why this past year was worth going through. It has been wonderful to have him back! I love you A!

Flowers...

2010-12-05T23:44:00.002-05:00

For what?!? You ask! ....

END of deployment.

I walked in after class one night last week to these flowers (thanks to the roomie for taking them out of the box so they wouldn't freeze on our front step!) On the note it said "X (number) days until we are together again". Well we are getting close to that number and I'm getting more and more excited! YAY! :-)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T12:24:00.004-05:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all of you!

I hope that you all have a wonderful day with friends and family. If you are away from your loved ones, I thank you for all that you have given and hope that you can spend it with them next year.
It is yet another holiday spent without A, but I am just thankful that it is another day closer to seeing him! :-)

I felt like this really says it all:
And this is just funny...hehe! -

Changes

2010-11-23T12:52:00.003-05:00

...that's exactly what keeps happening with A's return information. A few weeks ago, we were given one date for his return. I had been slightly stressed because of the timing in comparison to my final exams, etc. but had gotten passed this issue after talking to my professors and working it all out. So I was getting really excited as this date was approaching and getting closer and closer.

There is a website where the homecoming ceremony information is posted and I kept waiting to see his flights ceremony information. Well, I was excited yesterday to see this information, but it was listed as being a few days later than I had thought. Ok, not what I was expecting, but this might be better...after all, then I can go to my classes and be in GA when he gets in and not miss as much school. So I was annoyed it was a few days late, but was trying to look at the bright side of things.

Well...now, we are being told that the information that was posted on the website is wrong and that you should go with the information being told to you by your soldier. WHAT?!?! Maybe if they could just get this stuff straight...of course, I know that the date can change ANY time, so I'm dealing with it as it comes and I need to not get comfortable with any sort of "definite" information, but it's getting frustrating! AHHH. Thanks for letting me vent. Regardless, it's just around the corner and I can't wait to be wrapped in his arms again :-)

Happy Birthday Big Brother

2010-11-19T10:27:00.004-05:00

Happy 30th Birthday Michael!!

I am headed up to NYC right now on a bus from DC to meet up with my brother for his bday weekend (and more importantly...Notre Dame vs. Army football!)
I'm looking forward to a fabulous weekend with my brother and some of his friends. I have not spent his birthday with him in probably 10 years if not more so this is great.
Pictures of the great weekend to come...but for now, here's a pic of us at his graduation in May:
Oh...and Happy Birthday to my puppy, Jewels, who turns 3 today! Yes...my dog and my brother really do have the same bday. When I saw her and then saw her bday, I knew that I would just have to have her. :-)

Happy Veteran's Day!

2010-11-11T23:56:00.002-05:00

And thank you for your service to all of our veterans and our men and women who are in uniform today! It is because of you that we can continue our lives the way we do.

Here is a prayer that I would like to share with all of you:

God of peace, we pray for those who have served our nation and have laid down their lives to protect and defend our freedom.
We pray for those who have fought, whose spirits and bodies are scarred by war, whose nights are haunted by memories too painful for the light of day.
We pray for those who serve us now, especially for those in harm's way.
Shield them from danger and bring them home.
Turn the hearts and minds of our leaders and our enemies to the work of justice and a harvest of peace.
Spare the poor, Lord!
May the peace you left us, the peace you gave us, be the peace that sustains, the peace that saves.
Christ Jesus, hear us!
Lord Jesus, hear our prayer!
Amen

--Author Unknown

I thought this was a prayer that says it all! May God watch over each of you and your loved ones, especially those of you who are separated from your loved ones at this time.

God Really Does Answer Prayers!

2010-11-09T22:46:00.003-05:00

I do not tend to get super religious on my blog. However, I am a practicing Catholic and felt the need to thank Him today.

My uncle was diagnosed with leukemia over the summer. He has undergone multiple sessions of chemo over the past few months and fortunately was able to make it to my cousin's (his son's) wedding a couple weeks ago. However, at that point he was seeming very weak and was looking down the not-so-fun road of more chemo. We were told that if a blood marrow donor was not found that he would have to undergo at least 3 more sessions of chemo. His sister has cancer and therefore cannot be a donor and his brother was not a match. Therefore, we had to pray that there was somebody out there who was a match and willing to donate. We, as a family, said many prayers and continued to ask others for prayers. Well...on Sunday night my dad talked to my uncle and found out that a donor has been found and that he will be getting the bone marrow transplant sometime after Christmas! Now let's pray that the transplant goes well and that his body accepts it.

Thank you God for answering our prayers!

Counting?!

2010-10-28T23:04:00.003-04:00

Counting up/down the days! Did/do you count the days? We are getting fairly close to the end and as much as I try not to count, I just can't help myself. I don't know the exact number of course because I have no clue for sure what day he'll be home. But I have a pretty good idea about when it will be. I just can't wait! I'm getting so excited at this point and have been trying to focus on my school work and stuff, but it's so hard. I've been having a lot of trouble concentrating lately. I am so ready for this all to just be over.

I think that my fears have set in the most right now and unfortunately I do not think that it will really getting any better until he is finally home. But that's ok. I'll get through it. I know I will! But I definitely have to keep reminding myself of that.

So with a combination of my fears and my readiness/excitement of the end being in sight, I have been STRUGGLING to concentrate and get work done. Somehow, I have been able to pull it all together at the last minute for all of my assignments this semester but I really need to get on top of things. Cuz when I put it off, I end up just adding to my stress. OOPS! :-D

Off to bed for me so that I am rested tomorrow for work and then school work! YIPPY!

So...did/do you count?! Or did you find that you tried not to?

I Know TOO Much

2010-10-20T00:00:00.003-04:00

Nope...I'm not talking about being super intelligent and knowing too much. (Not that I'm saying I lack intelligence ~ HAHA!) But that's not what I mean.

What I mean is...

I know too much that has happened in the last 7 (almost 8) years of our country being at war.

I know too much about things my brother has experienced when he was deployed.

I know too much about the bad things that CAN happen.

I know too much about what A has experienced during this deployment.

I know too much!

In an email that I received a couple days ago, A said it himself. He said that he knows he shares too much information with me sometimes and that he knows it causes me to worry. This is true, but I always tell him to talk to me about things if he needs to and not to be concerned about me worrying. I'm going to worry regardless of what I know. I love the fact that he is comfortable talking to me about things, but there are times that I feel like I know too much. And that's ok, I've been dealing with it pretty well throughout this deployment. I am just ready for it to come to an end. Obviously, I have been ready for that since it began, but it has truly gotten to me at this point. I have a lot of things coming up in the next couple of weeks which have me looking forward to them and then into those events comes A coming home. So before I know it, it will be here, but I'm ready to no longer worry about "Knowing Too Much"!

How much does your soldier/sailor/airman/marine/coastie share with you during a deployment? Have you felt like you "Knew Too Much"?

Decisions

2010-10-16T23:23:00.002-04:00

First of all...so sorry it's been a while since I last posted. I feel like my life consists of work, school, some more work, school, work again, do school work, and maybe get some sleep and relaxation in there at some point. To catch up real quick since my last post...I had a fabulous time in GA with Expat Girl last weekend. It was wonderful getting to spend some time with her in her fabulous new house. She has really done a wonderful job putting it together. I'm proud of her for all that she has accomplished on her own while Mr Soldier is gone. It was also nice getting to see Maddie again since it had been a couple months since I last saw her and boy is she growing up.

But so onto today's topic...DECISIONS! The main reason that I planned the trip to GA was to try to look into some places to live for when A gets back (mainly for him but for me to go visit and then possible live once I graduate in May!). So it will be "our" first place...at least as far as deciding where to live and I'll get to decorate! YIPPY! We are debating on a few things and seem to be coming to conclusions but I'm really not sure. We are thinking about whether or not to get a place in the city which is about 45 minutes from post or in the suburb which is only about 30 minutes from post. Living downtown would be fabulous with all of the things to do but it's a longer drive to work for A, a little more expensive, and I'm not really going to be there much until the summer (and then he PCS's in August/September) so he'll be traveling to VA a lot on weekends. Also, he has thought about getting a place with some of the other guys so that it's cheaper. The guys he has talked to about this also have girlfriends who live out of the state so they also would be traveling a lot on weekends.

So...downtown or suburb?!?! And roommates or own place?!?!

A Weekend Getaway!

2010-10-07T22:57:00.002-04:00

HAHA...yes, that's right ~ I'm getting away from home for the weekend. Wish it was a weekend getaway with A...but for not a weekend in Georgia with Expat Girl will just have to suffice. :-) Heading there tomorrow to have some fabulous girl time (and look at some places for when A returns ~ but that's not the good stuff! J/K Super excited about that!) Anyway...looking forward to the trip even though it's going to be really weird being there without A. I'll see you shortly Expat Girl. And please say some prayers for safe travels and no speeding tickets...I've only gotten a couple on this trip before. :-D

I Want It Wednesday!

2010-10-06T22:12:00.004-04:00

CHRISTMAS!!!

.......

because by then A should most definitely be home! If not...the Army will be hearing from me. :-)

I can't wait to be in his arms again and to know that he is out of harm's way!

(So basically I want A to be home...but I figured I'd put a date of some sort on it since I can't really count down.)

A New Month!

2010-10-02T00:09:00.003-04:00

Welcome October!!!

I can't believe that another month has come and gone and here we are in October now. This just means that the end is even MORE in sight. So...in September I posted an entire 6 times due to the fact that my life is being run completely by school (and a little work!). My goal for this month is to post at least double that...I just miss you all so much!

Additional goals for this month:
-Continue doing well in my classes
-Go to GA to look at possible homes for A and I (even though I won't be there until May ~ BUMMER!)
-Save (a little) money
-Have fun with my girlfriends
-Let A know that I love him as often as possible! :-)
-Send 2 packages to A
-Spend time with my mom
-Eat healthier
-Work out AT LEAST 4 times a week
-Loose 5 lbs (Hopefully more...but I want to be realistic!)

Well...wish me luck! The new month starts now (well...really 10 minutes ago!)

Suggestions on Video Cameras Wanted!

2010-09-19T10:39:00.003-04:00

I need a camcorder for school so that I can tape myself practicing my skills. (No...I am not that vain that I want to "tape myself"!) HAHA!

So I am debating on what I should get. I don't want to spend TOO much money, but I definitely want it to be worth the money. Hopefully I will be able to use it for fun and not just school. I could spend a little extra money and purchase a Flip. (which is shown below...yes it is pink because let's be honest...if I could a Flip it would be the pink one!) picture from Walmart.com

Or...I could be cheap and get something else. I'm not even sure what the something else would be at this second, but there are plenty of camcorders that are cheaper.

Do any of you know anything about camcorders and have suggestions? I really don't even know where to start when looking at these. I've heard that the Flip is good, but is it worth the extra money? I am willing to spend it if that's what the rest of the world thinks is the best way to go. Thanks for the input! :-)

Girlfriends!

2010-09-17T21:56:00.003-04:00

Oh how I love them! :-) I just got back from hanging out with 4 wonderful women who I'm in school with. These ladies are great. We met up for dinner and wine at this great place in town. It was fabulous. These girls are just a fun group of people to be around. We smile, laugh, and cry with each other. It's so awesome how when you "click" with a group of people it just happens.

The boyfriend of one of the other girls is in the Marines and he just deployed a few weeks ago. I'm glad that I have been going through this experience so that I can try to help her get through this. I know how rough it can be! ... and let's be honest... it doesn't necessarily get better. It's more that you learn how to cope with it better. I am so glad that I have this close group of friends to finish up this deployment and school year with. However, I'm going to miss them all when I graduate! :-(

What types of things do you do with your girlfriends?!

J-M-U DUKES!!!

2010-09-11T22:29:00.003-04:00

I am so proud to be a Duke Dog today! We beat VA Tech 21-16. Many of you might not realize the significance of this...but although JMU has been a good team in the past, they should NEVER be able to beat VT. However, the team proved that wrong today because it happened. Great job today Dukes! So proud to "Bleed Purple"

Click here to see an article on ESPN about VT "self-destructing" Love it! :-)

Random ~ But FUN!

2010-09-07T21:59:00.002-04:00

First of all...this is my 100th post. I know this means that I am supposed to be answering the questions from the Q & A. But unfortunately I have not yet had the time to sit and do this, nor do I really have the time right now (I probably shouldn't even be posting at all at the moment!). To those of you who have asked questions or are curious of my answers to those that have been asked...don't worry, I will get to them...probably this weekend. Thanks so much for asking questions...and if you still have questions you have one last chance to ask! And yay for 100 Posts!

So I've been putting off posting because I wanted to do the Q & A for Post 100 but just haven't had a chance, which is why I decided that I needed to just post and get over it. :-) Sorry! So, I had a wonderful day at the spa on Saturday with my roomie. We both got a manicure, pedicure, hour long massage, and had our hair styled! It was an absolute blast. If you ever get the chance to go...do it! It was so relaxing...it was greatly needed and greatly appreciated by both of us. Therefore, I have to say thanks to A for making this possible. You are so wonderful and spoil me so much! I love you!! XOXO

Today was my first day at practicum for school counseling. I will be at a middle school for 1-2 days a week this semester. Today was the students' first day of school. I was fortunate to be able to go today and see what it is like to start off a new school year. I had a great day. I was a little nervous, but I had a lot of fun and I think it went pretty well. I have been working on my plans for this semester of working with students. I can't wait to really start working with them, rather than "just" dealing with scheduling problems.

After my day at school, I had 2 three hour classes. Therefore, it has been an incredibly long day of schooling. So, it is time for me to get some sleep. Good night all! Have a great day

An Emotional Wreck

2010-09-02T23:26:00.002-04:00

AHHHHH...GRRRRR!!! I am sick of being an emotional wreck right now. I was at church this evening for a meeting and we were going around introducing ourselves. While introducing ourselves we were stating how we have seen God in our week. After saying who I was, I started sobbing. REALLY?!?! It's been a busy week so I thought I was "over" the fact that I was missing A so much. Well...I was definitely wrong. Fortunately I had my wonderful roomie there and everybody was incredibly supportive. Obviously I got through it, but I just wish that these emotions didn't just randomly hit me.

Other than my being an emotional wreck this evening, today was a great day. I worked this morning and then spent some time at my practicum site. Tuesday is the first day of school and all the students came in today to get their schedules. It was great getting to meet some of them. I can't wait for this semester to really get underway.

First Week

2010-09-01T22:55:00.002-04:00

I have completed my first week of classes for my LAST fall semester EVER of school! HAHA. I know...it's a HUGE stretch of trying to get in a "last" but hey it is one! I have one class on Monday nights and two on Tuesday nights this semester. It shouldn't be too bad of a semester. Lots of work but it should be fun. One of my courses is practicum and I am really looking forward to finally getting to practice all that I have learned. I have been placed in a local middle school (6th-8th grade) for this experience. I think that I will learn a lot from my site supervisor and all of the students at the school. I will be starting that on Tuesday, which is the public schools' first day of school. Should be an interesting day! :-)

1 Year Ago

2010-08-30T19:28:00.003-04:00

A year ago "A" and I went for a hike up Hurricane Mountain in NY to celebrate our 1 Year Anniversary. It was a beautiful hike and just a great time having him to myself for a little while. Oh how I wish that we were able to spend this day together again this year. However, he is doing his job which I am sooo proud of him for and I look forward to celebrating all of our special days together next year! :-) I LOVE YOU A!!!

(Don't forget to ask your questions here if you have any AT ALL for my 100th post!)

The Little Blue Box

2010-08-29T21:26:00.003-04:00

AHHHH!!! That's what I got...a Little Blue Box. :-) And you all knew it! I can't believe that none of you loved me enough to tell me. HAHA. But I forgive you. Yes, I know you are all thinking..."Didn't she say she had to wait until Monday to open it?" Well, you are right. But I was able to convince A that I should get to open it today. I just made sure that I looked as pitiful as possible on Skype earlier. HEHE. And I made him laugh in the process too. As I joked to open it before he said I could, and had the box sitting on one side of me and a pair of scissors on the other. He was like "You a little anxious to open it already?!" Well yes of course I was. He finally gave me permission to open it and this is what I found...

A beautiful robin egg blue box with a pretty white bow!

And on the box it said...

And inside was a soft little pouch with a gorgeous ring inside.

A beautiful sterling silver ring with 4 round diamonds.

This all makes for a very happy me! I love you so much baby! You are the best and always seem to surprise me.

Anniversary Flowers

2010-08-28T22:59:00.004-04:00

Well I still have not been able to convince A to let me open my present which I mentioned in my previous post. However, I did receive some beautiful flowers. Obviously...I was able to open them, otherwise they would have died. Well these flowers are beautiful and the card with them made me tear up. He's so amazing!

Yes, there are 2 dozen roses there! At risk of him being mad at me for sharing...this is what the message says:

A rose for every month you stole my heart.
A petal for every time you gave me yours.
Thank you for the best two years of my life and I look forward to the next sixty with you.
Love forever and ever,
A

EEEEEEKKK!!!! :-) He said he wrote it all on his own. I love you baby!

I Got A Package From Where?!?!

2010-08-27T18:07:00.002-04:00

Great Question!!! I have NO idea. However, I'm not allowed to open it until Monday which is my and A's 2 year dating anniversary. This is driving me crazy. Some of my girl friends checked the address online and know where it is from. The only hint that I have is that it says TCO and the address is from NJ! I have NOOOOO idea. They told me that I am not allowed to search for the address because it would ruin it. GRRR. But, if you would like to find out for yourself...here's the address! I figure I'll let the world have a secret for a few days. Why not?! HAHA

15 Sylvan Way
Parsippany, NJ 07054

And if you love me...you'll tell me where it is! Because then I didn't do the searching on my own! :-)

Questions and Answers

2010-08-25T20:57:00.001-04:00

I am about a week away from hitting post 100! So, I thought that for my 100th post I would do a Question/Answer. If you have anything that you would like to ask, go ahead and post it in the comments of this and I will happily answer them for my 100th post. PLEASE ask questions...don't make me beg! :-) And ask anything, there's not much that I would be uncomfortable asking, and if I am, then I just won't answer it. HEHE! So, go ahead...ask away! And make sure that you come back to get your answers. You have about a week to ask questions!

I Want It Wednesday

2010-08-18T21:58:00.003-04:00

...to see the end of this deployment!

I know this has been a great week since we've hit 8 months now. However, this deployment seems to have been really getting to me this week. I don't really know why, but it has. I feel like the end is still so far away. A has been incredibly wonderful and positive. I am so glad that he continues to be doing well. But I can't get over the fact that although we've made it through 8 months...we still have about 4 (ish) to go. I know, it's not like this is a shock considering I knew this was a year long deployment. It's just gotten tougher this week. I'm sure once I start classes again in a week and a half for the fall semester I will not even have enough time to realize how much time is left until this deployment comes to an end. But for right now...I JUST WANT HIM HOME!!! Is that so much to ask for? (Actually...yes, it kind of is!) I know. He's doing his job and the US Army owns him. But I'm ready for this year to hurry up and finish. Fortunately I'll be super busy again soon. For right now though, I am so proud of A for all he has done, is doing right now, and will be doing in the next few months. He is so wonderful and amazing. I could not ask to have a better guy in my life! :-) I love you babe!

The Dentist = BAH-HUM-BUG!

2010-08-17T23:43:00.003-04:00

I went to the dentist today for a teeth cleaning. I actually don't mind going to the dentist...and never have. After all...my daddy was my dentist for the first few years of my life. :-)

Well...now, I can officially say...I hate the dentist! HAHAHA! Not literally...but I'm definitely not thrilled with the dentist right now. I have gone all X(insert old age here) years of my life with NO (yes...that's right ZERO, ZILCH, NONE!) cavities. Well folks, that has now changed. Yep, I walked out of the dentist today with an appointment to go back on Thursday to have 2, yep...not just 1, but 2!!! cavities filled. To put it mildly...I was not a happy camper this afternoon. But oh well, I guess it eventually happens to all of us. At least they now do fillings with white fillings so you can't really see it.
I will be sure to fill you all in on Thursday as to how it goes! :-(

Moving Video

2010-08-13T23:28:00.002-04:00

I was pleasantly surprised when I got an email from one of my sorority sisters. We were really good friends while going through college but have not been in touch much since we graduated. We always connected because we are both military brats and understand the whole military lifestyle. We greatly respected and appreciated each other for that since her dad and my brother deployed while we were in college. Well she said she had received an email from a friend with a YouTube video clip and she felt like I was one of the only people that she thought would truly appreciate it. Well I did greatly appreciate it! So much so that I still have not actually gotten through the whole thing. (It's 10 minutes long!) It is absolutely fantastic and I was very glad she shared it with me. However, it did bring tears to my eyes and after about 3 minutes I was having trouble seeing the screen. HEHE I do plan to watch the rest later. But I thought all of you would appreciate it as much as I did. So, if you'd like to see it...take out the tissues and enjoy!

Go HERE to enjoy!

Yay for the Beach!

2010-08-11T00:25:00.003-04:00

I went to this beach this weekend and had a fabulous time. I was very privileged to have spent a long weekend with my mom and some other mothers of America's finest. Yes...that's right I spent some quality time with some wonderful military moms who I have had the honor of getting to know over the last few years. Thanks ladies for letting me join! I had a great time sipping on some wine, learning the "right" way to eat crab, swimming in the pool, playing card games in PJ's, walking on the beach, and just enjoying good conversation and fellowship. It was a wonderful weekend!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2010-08-09T00:26:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Mom!

(well 26 minutes ago!)

So glad that I got to spend the day/weekend with you! You are a wonderful mom and have been a great caregiver for me and have become a great friend. I love you!

Spoiled Rotten!

2010-08-06T23:23:00.005-04:00

Look at what I got in the mail yesterday...

an envelope with this return address

Hmm...that's weird. "Why would I be getting something from them?" I thought. I almost threw it out, but was curious. I opened the envelope and found a catalog. Not sure why I would get a catalog from there, but I fortunately flipped through it real quick. I then realized that there was something in the back of it...

and there was a gift card.

I then wondered what the "instructions" were for this gift since A had told me there would be instructions to come with it. Well...I spoke to him earlier and guess what...my roomie and I are going to the Spa for half a day of mani/pedi, massage, and hair fun!!!! I can't wait. :-) He is so wonderful and I am so spoiled.

Love Being a Kid!

2010-08-01T21:41:00.003-04:00

It is so much fun to just be a kid and have a good time. A couple of my friends and I went to play laser tag today. :-) It was a pretty crumby looking day so our plans to go to the amusement park changed. Therefore, we figured we'd find something fun to do indoors. So, laser tag it was! It was an absolute blast. HAHA! We will definitely be doing this again...and hopefully we will be able to get a large group to go next time. Can't wait.

Today became even better after I got back from laser tag because I got to talk to A for about 30 minutes on Skype. So great to see him and know that he is doing ok. And apparently I will be getting something in the mail at the end of this week. Gives me something to look forward to. I'm excited. :-D

Thankful Thursday!

2010-07-29T22:58:00.004-04:00

I feel like there are times that I get so stressed about life, deployment, etc. that I forget to be thankful for all of the little things. Plus, I think I have quite a few things to be thankful for the past few days. So here it goes...

I am thankful for...

the fact that I have my car back from the dealership. It "just" needed a new battery. Expensive? Yes. But I have great family...plus it is looking like we should be refunded because I got a new battery less than 3 years ago and there's a warranty.

my wonderful family and friends that are helping me get through one of the hardest times in my life.

the fantastic Expat Girl and Mrs. G. I. Joe who I got to meet up with tonight for dinner and just getting to chat and hang out with them. It is wonderful having them close by during this deployment and dealing with struggles with EG and have the Mrs. to share her wealth of knowledge and experience.

my job which helps me pay the bills and keeps me busy.

my classmates and friends at school. I have become very close with many of them.

A and how great he has been through this entire deployment. He is thousands of miles away and in a war zone...yet, he takes care of me and worries about me? Really?! :-) Oh how I love him.

Car Issues ~ Oh How I HATE Them

2010-07-27T23:32:00.004-04:00

Boy has it been a rough day when it comes to car problems. I was at work today. I went to leave at about 3 and had to be back at 4:30. I figured that I would go home real quick, let the pups out for a little while, and relax before heading back to work. Well...needless to say, that didn't happen. When I got to my car at work, I unlocked the doors and rolled down the windows with my key remote (great feature in the Honda Accord!). It's been hot so I was thankful that I was able to roll them down to let some of the heat out before getting right in. I threw my stuff in the car, stuck my key in the ignition, turned it, and ... NOTHING!!! WHAT?! So now, my windows are wide open, the sky is grey looking like it's going to rain any minute, and my car won't start. I don't think so! So I went inside and asked one of the guys to come look at it with me and see what he thought. He said it was probably the battery and that he would call Mall Security (the gym I work at is right outside the mall) to have them jump it for me. Fantastic! No big deal...just a jump and I'll be on my way. The security guard arrives, jumps my car, and the engine starts. Awesome...so now I quickly roll up the windows just in case and am on my way. I get out of the gym parking lot, out of the mall lot and onto a major 3 lane in each direction road. As I'm turning onto it my car cuts off and restarts. Ut oh!! I kept driving and realized that the Malfunction Indicator Lamp was now on. Just what I need...right? HA! So I turn at the next light to get off of this road and onto a slightly less major road. It cuts off and restarts again. At that point I decided I need to just get off the road and call for help. Oh wait...but that's right, I had left my cellphone at my apartment before going to work. Go figure! So I had to get somewhere that I could make a phone call. I continued a little further (mind you, I've only gone about a mile at this point and my car has cut off 2 times!). By the time I pulled into the parking lot of a restaurant which my family frequents, it cut off one more time. Fortunately I was able to make it into the parking lot and just turn off my car. And of course I tried to start it again to see if it would work, and NOPE! Nothing! It was completely dead at that point. My brother came to my rescue after I called for help. Thank God I have AAA so they came and towed my car to the Honda dealership and they will look at it tomorrow. I was only an hour late for getting back to work. HAHA! Needless to say...I hate car issues and they drive me crazy! But at least I was able to get to safety and get assistance. Hope the rest of you had a better day. I wish you good luck with your cars! :-)

SMILING! :-)

2010-07-21T23:07:00.002-04:00

As of today...I stand corrected. In a blog last week, I stated that I was "excited about getting his stuff settled into his new place". A has made sure that I realize the apartment in GA will be "our apartment" not "his". He sent me an email earlier and said that he had been catching up on my blog (which I didn't even realize he actually was doing!~Which also makes me happy!). He said while reading he saw that and that "He would like to think that you are not just moving me into my apartment but our apartment". Later tonight I was also able to talk to him on the phone and he stated the same thing. However, further into our conversation he said that he just wants me to move my stuff in so that he can have my dishes and apartment stuff that I have, which he doesn't. HAHA!!! He's such a goof...but it made me laugh so that's ok. Fortunately, I don't take everything he says seriously. I'm getting so excited now and can't wait to find a place in GA and for him to get back. Granted, I'll still be in VA finishing up school, but at least I'll be able to call him whenever I want and I can spend more time with him. YIPPY!

The Reality

2010-07-19T23:28:00.003-04:00

WOW! I was watching last night's episode of Army Wives earlier today and it felt like I was reliving last December. I had the emotions of the fights leading up to deployment, the realizing that fighting with each other doesn't make sense, the last dinner together, the long drawn out hugs, and the last kiss! I absolutely love watching this show (even if I do cry EVERY time I watch it!). I know that there is a lot of dramatization, but it is a TV show so that's understanding. However, even with the added factors, the storyline is so real. I seriously cried (not sobbed...just some good tears!) through the entire episode. But it was kind of cleansing for me. So I hope that all you Army, Navy, Marine, Coast Guard, and Air Force wives/fiances/girlfriends have a wonderful day and that you keep your head up high and just remember...you're not alone! You are NEVER alone! You might feel like NObody understands...but there is somebody out there who knows exactly how you are feeling. Stay strong!

7 Months Down!

2010-07-14T23:09:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it. It has been 7 months since A left for deployment. Since then so much has happened. I can't believe that we have really passed the half way point now. Now that it's an extra month it truly feels like we are getting to that downhill slope to his coming home. And no, it hasn't really gotten any easier...but I feel like I can actually start thinking about looking at places in GA for him. And get excited about the idea of getting his stuff settled into his new place before he gets back. With school this fall semester sneaky up quickly, I am going to be super busy. This will be great because hopefully time will fly by.

And not only has it been 7 months since deployment began, it's been (just under) a month since he left after R&R. That was of course a very bitter sweet time to spend together as well as farewell afterward. It was very bitter because I didn't want to see him EVER leave again. However, it was nice to know we were at/past the halfway point already. We are going strong and can make it throgh anything. I just can't wait to continue our lives once he gets back. But I do think that we have both been able to grow a lot through this experience!

Update ~ Good News!

2010-07-14T23:08:00.002-04:00

The gentleman at work yesterday is completely fine. He was up last night watching the All Star games. Thank God for answering prayers and helping all of us do our jobs so that he is now doing well!

A Rough Day Made Better

2010-07-13T23:35:00.003-04:00

Today was definitely a rough day at work. As many of you know, I work at a local gym. I work in the pool, which is on the first floor, and there is a track on the second floor. A member from the gym had a heart attack (or something) and fell/passed out while running on the track. By the time my supervisor and I found out about what was going on and got upstairs, paramedics and fire rescue had already arrived. It was very touch and go for a while but they did eventually get a pulse before taking him away. One of the employees had begun CPR. All staff responded correctly and there were a few other members who were really helpful. We were just all very shaken up afterward. Hopefully he'll be ok.

This all happened at the beginning of my shift at work today and I had three hours of swim lessons. To say the least, I didn't really want to be there at that point. All I wanted to do was go home and do nothing. Fortunately, I was able to do that after my lessons were over. Shortly after I got home, I was also able to talk to A online for a little while. That always makes me feel better, especially since it had been a couple days since we spoke. Then I took at nap. Once I got up, my roomie and I went and got ice cream for dinner! Definitely didn't make me feel better as far as health but boy was it delicious :-) Now it's time to try to get some sleep. Unfortunately though, every time I close my eyes I just picture what happened earlier today. :-/

Drive-In Movie

2010-07-12T22:50:00.003-04:00

Alright ladies (and gentlemen if there are any!) ~ I completed a first for me last night.

Yes, I had NEVER been to a drive-in movie before. However, I went to one last night with my roommate. It was so much fun. There is this new drive-in place out in the country about 30 minutes from where I live. They have double features and it's VERY reasonably priced. We saw Marmaduke and Eclipse. And yeah, I know I saw Eclipse already...but I had been wanting to see it again, so why not do it when I can see another movie also, and the price is cheaper than one movie at a theater. Anyway, if you have not been to a drive-in before and have one nearby, I strongly recommend that you go. It's a blast!

I Want it Wednesday

2010-07-07T13:45:00.003-04:00

A message, a phone call, just something, anything from A to let me know he was ok...

...and I already got it! :-)
I woke up this morning to an email from A. I hadn't heard from him since the end of last week. Of course I kept telling myself "He's doing fine and just very busy right now" but it was hard to convince myself of this. I didn't want to call or contact his family to see if they had heard from him at all because I didn't want them to start getting worried. Especially since I really did think it was just that he was busy. But again...hard to convince yourself! As expected though, he is perfectly fine, except for having a lot going on that has kept him from the computer or phones. Hopefully I'll get to actually talk to him sometime later this week. But if not, oh well..."He's just doing his job and very busy!" Right?! :-) I just have to not think about what his job is then which is keeping him busy. Oh well...I'll get through this. Only 5 more months (or s0!).

Sorry that this post is basically me convincing myself that he's fine...but sometimes it's easier to write than just think. Hope you are all doing well! Have a wonderful week.

4th, Freedom, and Fireworks

2010-07-05T00:34:00.002-04:00

Happy (belated) 4th of July all! I hope that everybody had a fantastic day spending time with friends and family. Thank you to those of you who are fighting for our country and to those who stand behind these brave men and women. I know that I am so proud of you, A, for doing what you do. I miss you like crazy and can't wait to spend this holiday together next year!

Feeling Sick

2010-07-03T00:10:00.002-04:00

Well it was a great night with friends and family. Went and saw a great band and fireworks. But started to just not feel "right" towards the end of the night when we were hanging out at a friends' house. So I just got home, took my temperature, and I have a fever of 101. OOPS!! Therefore, I am off to bed and hoping it has gone away by the morning. For some reason I doubt it. Really wishing that A was here right now to take care of me and make me feel better. Just glad that I have awesome friends and family who I know will do that for me since he's not here. Good night all!

ECLIPSE!

2010-07-01T21:44:00.002-04:00

I went to the midnight showing of Eclipse on Tuesday night with two great friends! It was absolutely amazing. I had read the book and was nervous that I would get frustrated with the movie. There were a couple things that I felt like they left out and that they emphasized a couple of things too much, but it was still great. It definitely got the story across. I thought it was the best movie so far. I can't wait until Breaking Dawn!

I Hate This

2010-06-29T15:48:00.003-04:00

Here it goes...and if you don't want to hear me vent then don't read. But you can all probably relate so that's why I'm writing.

I Hate This! What you say? DEPLOYMENT!!! AHHH. It's just getting to me right now. Probably because I've just started back in classes so I'm extra busy and stressed. Therefore, not having A to talk to whenever I want just sucks. I hate it. I want him home. I want him sitting here next to me right now. I just want him back. I feel like when he left in December it was hard...but now that he left after R&R it has gotten harder. It was such a tease having him home for 2 weeks. We had a great time together but I hated having to say good-bye again.

With the way his work schedule is right now, we figured out a couple days ago that the best time to talk is when he gets up for the day and I am off to bed (or half asleep as it was last night!). So I've just been leaving Skype up on my computer when I go to bed and he calls when he gets up. It's been great getting to talk to him and see him before I go to sleep and I've been able to sleep better for the last couple days. That of course has been nice. However, last night I got on facebook at the same time as talking to him and was looking at pictures. When we decided I needed to get some sleep and he needed to get to work, we got off Skype. He also was on Facebook so I sent him a chat message letting him know that I love him! At that point we talked on there for a couple more minutes and I started crying. I dunno. He was saying the perfect things and all but I hate it. I am just glad that I was able to keep those tears in until we got off Skype. I miss him so much and can't wait for him to get back. I'll be fine and get over this funk I'm in right now. But I still HATE IT!

There's my rant for the moment. For those of you who read this...thanks! I'm sure many of you can completely understand.

YAY for Awards!

2010-06-26T21:37:00.005-04:00

YIPPY!! I got an award. I haven't gotten one in a while. I received this award from Rachel at Romancing Rachel. Thanks hun for the award! So now I have to tell you 10 things about me and then pass it along to 10 other wonderful bloggers.

10 Things About Me:

1. I have been in school for 20 years of my life. (And for 2 of the years that I wasn't a student in school, I was teaching!)

2. I have lived in 2 different countries, 3 different states, and 3 different cities in the state which I am currently living in.

3. I cheered for 8 years and for three of those years, I was on 2 teams at once (school and all-star competition teams). And when I was on 2 teams I was not driving yet...therefore my mommy had to drive me everywhere. (Thanks Mom for all you've done for me!)

4. A and I have been dating for almost 2 years. I miss him terribly and can't wait for him to get home! (Unfortunately that won't be happening anytime soon)

5. My favorite food is spaghetti. I could honestly live off of any short of carbs and water. (And yes, I know too much carbs in not good for me.)

6. Since A left for deployment in December, I lost about 5 lbs. While he was home on R&R, I gained 3-4 of it back. OOOOOPPPPSSS!!! So now I need to work extra hard to lose it again and lose an additional 10-15 before he gets back. :-)

7. My puppy is 2 1/2 years old. If not for her, I'm not sure if I'd be able to get through this deployment. Yes, I have a great roommate and great friends and family.

8. I sang in chorus throughout middle and high school. I miss singing.

9. I found out about my first teaching job only a month after graduating with my bachelors degree. I kind of miss teaching, however, I am enjoying being a student again and glad that I will be able to complete the program in 2 years since I'm in school full time.

10. I just cut out soda completely. Up until about a week ago, I would have 3-4 sodas per day. This past week I started cutting back and would allow myself 1 soda a day and today I went without one and didn't get a headache. :-)

And the 10 fab bloggers which I would like to share this award with are:
Carmen at We See the Same Stars
Whitney at Everything Happens for a Reason
Kayla Sue at In Every Good Love Letter There's a Soldier and His Girl
LMC at 'cause I don't know how it gets better than this
Lisa at must be doin' somethin' right
Miss Jody at Miss Fancy Pants
Field of Dreams at Mrs. Z's Field of Dreams
Life of an Army Wife at The "D" Word
Steph at Watching Airplanes
Doc's Girl at Issued to a Soldier

Back to School

2010-06-25T22:29:00.002-04:00

I have only been out of school for the spring semester for a month and a half and I am now back in classes again. I am taking two summer courses. One started today and the other will start on Monday. Oh boy! :-) Gotta love being a student. HAHA. I actually do (in a way) because at least right now, while A is gone, it is keeping me busy so that I don't sit around a think too much. Because, I definitely think TOO much. The joys of dating a guy in the military. As far as school, I guess that I should just be glad that I didn't have to take any classes from May to June so that I was able to spend all of A's R&R by his side. It may have been nice if I could have taken a class then and just take one now...however, I would not trade the moments that I got to spend with A for anything. Now it's off to bed for me so that I can get up in the morning for class...Yes, that's right. You read that correctly, class...tomorrow...on a Saturday. YIPPY! (I REALLY hope that you hear the excitement/sarcasm in my voice while reading this!)

So Proud of Him

2010-06-24T22:12:00.003-04:00

(The two of us after the ceremony)

(A with his parents, sister, and BIL)

The last night of A's R & R he was promoted. He was officially promoted as of June 1. Since his BIL is an officer in the National Guard he was able to conduct the ceremony. It was so great being able to do this with his family. Nobody in his family or myself were able to be at his last promotion. Therefore, it was really cool that we all got to be there for this. :-)

Yankees Game!

2010-06-22T21:17:00.002-04:00

(Us at the game in Baltimore!)

A is a Yankees fan. So guess what I got him for his birthday present?!?! Yes...that's right! Yankees tickets (at Camden Yards in Baltimore!). We had SO much fun. It was a fantastic game. The weather was great and our seats were AMAZING. We had Club seats just to the left of home plate. It was just crazy ridiculous. I knew they were good seats when I got them, but had NO idea how good they really were. Not only were the seats good as far as location, but we were right near all the private boxes. Therefore, we had waiters and waitresses coming around taking food and drink orders. We had AC when we went to the restroom or concessions. It was just crazy. HAHA! Definitely not something that I could afford if we went to Yankee Stadium for the game. And plus we were going to be in the Baltimore/DC area anyway so it made sense. I am so glad that we were able to attend this game together!

Baltimore

2010-06-21T23:46:00.002-04:00

(Here we are at dinner overlooking the Harbor!)

We went to Baltimore for a couple days. The weather was absolutely beautiful. We got to enjoy the National Aquarium and walked around Inner Harbor. Tomorrow I'll write about the excitement of that night :-)

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-20T21:41:00.002-04:00

(My brother with our parents at his graduation in May!)

Happy Father's Day daddy! I know how proud you are of both of us, but I hope you realize how proud I am to be able to call you my father. I would not be who I am today if you and mom hadn't raised me the way you are. You are a wonderful example for me. You have always been there for me (even when I asked you to watch Coyote Ugly with me at age 16!) :-) Thanks for all that you have done for me and will continue to do for me. I love you very much!

We Went to a Wedding

2010-06-19T22:26:00.003-04:00

I figured that for the next couple days I would post pictures of A and I from R & R. Here is a picture of us at the wedding of one of his college classmates. It was great getting to meet some more of his friends and their wives. We had a great time! So glad we were able to make it to the wedding since we have not been able to make a few over the past year.

(He was tickling me and I couldn't stop laughing!)

A Long Drawn Farewell

2010-06-17T23:18:00.004-04:00

(Jewels and A on one of our road trips! Jewels loves to drive)

GRRR!! I didn't really get into the details/specifics of my frustrations last night in my post. Well that would be because A didn't leave the states until this evening. Therefore, I couldn't explain what was going on until he was actually gone. Yes, that's right. I said goodbye to him yesterday morning at 10:15 AM and he didn't actually fly out of the US until about 7 PM today.

AHH Makes me so angry. Oh and he was supposed to leave yesterday at 6 AM. His flights got all kinds of messed up. We had gotten a phone call from Delta the night before his flights to let him know that one of the legs of his flight was canceled. Therefore he had new flights for getting into Atlanta. He was supposed to fly out at 9:30 AM. We got to the airport and the flight was delayed until 10:15 (ish). Now, of course it was wonderful getting to sit with him for a little longer, but it felt like it was just more painful. I kept building myself up for it being 6, then it was 9:30, and then it was later than that.

Once he finally flew out, the second leg of his flight was also delayed about 45 minutes or so. Therefore, he got into Atlanta late and missed his flight out of the states by 15-20 minutes. So he ended up being put up in a hotel and then he flew out tonight. Of course I was glad that he was in the states and out of a war zone for an extra day. However, I absolutely HATED the fact that he was in the states and I wasn't with him. It's just frustrating. But I did get to wake up this morning to a phone call from him. And that was amazing! So there's my frustrations right now. And I just can't believe that he is now on his way back to Iraq. I know that I'll get through it but it REALLY sucks!

Wishes I Could Sleep for 6 Months

2010-06-17T00:56:00.004-04:00

(Waiting at the gate for his flight. ~ I look pretty horrible, but oh well. His flight was supposed to be at 6am, so we had gotten 3.5-4 hours of sleep and it was freezing so I didn't wear the dress I wanted to wear!)

I just got back home after driving for 12 hours. I unfortunately had to complete this drive after taking A to the airport so he can head back to Iraq. Yes, that's right...R & R is over! STINKY!

Now with having a 12 hour drive after this, I had A LOT of time to think. (Now please don't get offended by the way this might sound or whatever, especially since I'm working on 3.5 hours of sleep!) I feel as though I just "returned" A to the United States Army. They basically own him (definitely for the length of the deployment) and I got to borrow him for 15 days. However, I have to return him after that time is up. But, what if I don't want to return him? I don't usually return clothes, etc. that I want to have. I only return if I don't want an item for some reason. So, since I want him here with me right now, can't I just keep him?!?!

I know this was probably a ridiculous analogy, but it's what I got to thinking while I tried to stay awake and get home. So, now that I got home, I am off to bed with my puppy (instead of A) by my side! Missing him like crazy already. Can't believe it will be an other X (wish I knew for sure the number) months before I can hold his hand and kiss him.

Happy Birthday A!

2010-06-06T11:50:00.007-04:00

Happy 25th Birthday baby!

I am so happy that we've been able to spend this day together for the past 2 years.

We had a bunch of people over to his parents' house yesterday to celebrate his birthday and his being home for R & R. It was an absolute blast. Cooked out for lunch, played some yard games, built a fire pit in the yard as it got dark (until it started to downpour on us!), and then played some Wii games til we were all ready to crash. And today we are just doing stuff with his family! He just went out with a couple of his friends for lunch and then we'll be heading to a movie and dinner with his parents, sister, and BIL.
(Here he is being a dork when we were playing Corn Hole!)
Overall it's been a great R and R so far, I'll write more later about what we've been up to! Hope you are all doing well.

And a message to Expat Girl over at The Sand is Different Here ~ Stay strong, we are all here for you. I cannot imagine the heartbreak you are going through with saying goodbye to Mum and then Mr Soldier. However, I do know how strong of a woman you are and I know that you can get through anything. And I'm here for you if you need ANYthing at all!

R & R Has Finally Arrived

2010-06-01T15:30:00.004-04:00

Yep that's right! I have had A home for about 24 hours now. I can't believe it. I keep grabbing his hand or touching his arm/leg to make sure that he is really here. YIPPY!!! I'm just so happy and giddy right now. So anyway, don't be surprised if I'm not posting much. Sorry that I didn't post since last week when I said this was coming soon. I was just having trouble finding something to write about. Well I love you all and I will post soon with pictures! :-)

I Want it Wednesday! (R & R)

2010-05-26T22:03:00.002-04:00

Yes that's right...I want R & R to be here now!

Well it's coming soon and I just can't wait. I have some special things planned for us and then the rest of the time we will just have some fun and spend time with his family. I'm really excited! I haven't been able to post this week because all I want to talk about on here is him coming home! AHHH!!! I'm so excited. It feels so unreal that it's getting so close. So don't be surprised if I go MIA (again...I know!) for a while. But, I will try to post some pictures and stuff when possible. For now, I will just have to find SOMEthing to blog about. :-)

Such a Beautiful Place!

2010-05-22T21:51:00.004-04:00

I haven't had a chance to really sit and post yet since we got back from my brother's graduation last weekend at Notre Dame. So here I am looking at pictures from the weekend. It is such a gorgeous campus and I feel like anybody who gets a chance to visit should take the opportunity. (and if you can go and make it to a football game you would be NUTS not to go...cuz that's an absolute blast!)

Here are some outdoor photos of the campus:

(The Grotto~ You can light candles for people and pray.)

(Above is Our Lady of Lourdes and below (just beyond the fence) you can see Bernadette looking up at her)

(The Golden Dome atop the main building on campus)

(The Basilica)

(The top of the Basilica)

WOW~ It is just such a gorgeous campus and a beautiful place to walk around. I will post pictures of the inside of the Basilica later. It is quite the site to see.

Military Wives

2010-05-19T23:12:00.002-04:00

This pretty much sums it all up so I thought I would share...Nope I'm not a military wife (yet, at least!) but I definitely can relate to all of it. Hope you enjoy! And to all of you out there who are moving or waiting, or for that matter...doing both, good luck and remember that you are NEVER alone!

Military Wives

Lots of moving...
Moving...
Moving...
Moving far from home...
Moving two cars, three kids and one dog...all riding with HER of course.
Moving sofas to basements because they won't go in THIS house;
Moving curtains that won't fit;
Moving jobs and certifications and professional development hours.
Moving away from friends;
Moving toward new friends;
Moving her most important luggage: her trunk full of memories.

Often waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting...
Waiting for housing.
Waiting for orders.
Waiting for deployments.
Waiting for phone calls.
Waiting for reunions.
Waiting for the new curtains to arrive.
Waiting for him to come home,
For dinner...AGAIN!
They call her 'Military Dependent', but she knows better:
She is fiercely In-Dependent.

She can balance a check book;
Handle the yard work;
Fix a noisy toilet;
Bury the family pet...

She is intimately familiar with drywall anchors and toggle bolts.
She can file the taxes;
Sell a house;
Buy a car;
Or set up a move...
.....all with ONE Power of Attorney.
She welcomes neighbors that don't welcome her.
She reinvents her career with every PCS;
Locates a house in the desert, The Arctic, Or the deep south.
And learns to call them all 'home'.
She MAKES them all home.

Military Wives are somewhat hasty...
They leap into:
Decorating,
Leadership,
Volunteering,
Career alternatives,
Churches,
And friendships.
They don't have 15 years to get to know people.
Their roots are short but flexible.
They plant annuals for themselves and perennials for those who come after them.

Military Wives quickly learn to value each other:
They connect over coffee,
Rely on the spouse network,
Accept offers of friendship and favors.
Record addresses in pencil...

Military Wives have a common bond:
The Military Wife has a husband unlike other husbands;
his commitment is unique.
He doesn't have a 'JOB'
He has a 'MISSION' that he can't just decide to quit...
He's on-call for his country 24/7.
But for her, he's the most unreliable guy in town!
His language is foreign
TDY
PCS
OPR
SOS
ACC
BDU
ACU
BAR
CIB
TAD
And so, a Military Wife is a translator for her family and his.
She is the long- distance link to keep them informed;
the glue that holds them together.

A Military Wife has her moments:
She wants to wring his neck;
Dye his uniform pink;
Refuse to move to Siberia;
But she pulls herself together.
Give her a few days,
A travel brochure,
A long hot bath,
A pledge to the flag,
A wedding picture,
And she goes.
She packs.
She moves.
She follows.

Why?
What for?
How come?
You may think it is because she has lost her mind.
But actually it is because she has a HEART and a love for her husband,
Who puts duty first,
Who longs to deploy,
Who salutes the flag,
And whose boots in the doorway remind her that as long as he is her Military Husband,
She will remain his military wife.
And would have it no other way

Congratulations are in Order!

2010-05-15T14:46:00.002-04:00

...to my brother!

Congratulations on completing your MBA at Notre Dame! I am so proud of you and look forward to seeing what the future has in store for you.

Along with congrats, good luck! In your endeavors this summer as you travel through Europe for a month, and then in your new job which you start in August! You are going to do great. Keep up the good work.

(Pictures of this beautiful campus and the graduation to come later!)

Getting Back into Blogging

2010-05-12T22:29:00.004-04:00

Well it's been WAY to long since I posted and caught up with everybody's blogs. I'm sorry if you felt like I fell off the face of the planet (I kind of did~HAHA!). School is done for the semester so now I feel like I can breath again. It's great. Such a good feeling to have everything turned in and not have any assignments and due dates to worry about right now.

I received an award from Star at Star Spangled Stockings. Thanks for the award! I love it. And what better way to get back into the swing of blogging than an award. So here's the Sweet Blog Award. (How cute!)
So now to pass on this award to 10 other bloggers:

1. Carmen at We See the Same Stars
2. Miss Jody at Miss Fancy Pants
3. Jenn at Mrs Army Wife
4. Meg at Harrison Clark
5. Expat Girl at The Sand is Different Here
6. LMC at 'Cause I Don't Know How it Gets Better Than This
7. Whitney at Everything Happens for a Reason
8. Steph at Watching Airplanes
9. JG at Me and My SoldierMan
10. Lisa at Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right

If any of you have already received this award, I'm sorry, but it just means that you have an extra sweet blog! :-) Enjoy!

SOOOO excited to get back into being able to really enjoy blogging again.

Happy Mother's Day!

2010-05-09T15:18:00.002-04:00

To My Mommy ~
Today is your day. Thanks for all you have done for me throughout the past 25 years and for what I know you will do for me in the future. You have always been a wonderful mom and I'm glad that we have become so close over the years.

To All the Other Moms Out There (Especially You Military Moms) ~
Thanks for raising your children and being there for them. Just remember that your military brats love you and need you more than most moms. When daddy is gone you are mommy and daddy for them. Of course daddy is always there, but you take on a larger roll. May God bless you for what you are doing and help you along your journey of Motherhood.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

What Do You Think?

2010-05-01T21:34:00.003-04:00

If you were to see this in the sky...what would you think it was?! And I mean...like from the distance. HAHA!!!

Cuz one of my friends and I were driving home tonight from the outlets (so it was dark) and we saw a shiny "star-like" thing which was changing colors, moving, flashing and just looked strange. She said it was a UFO and I said it was a comet which was coming to end the world as we know it. HAHA! Yes~ We let our minds run and had a good time with it. Needless to say though, we had to "follow" it to figure out what it was and once we got there we eventually realized that it was a blimp. It was pretty awesome. As we got closer and closer the story of what it was kept changing. It was a light with a pole attached (she could have sworn she saw a pole). It was a parachute and then just a balloon. Then we realized what it was. It was just strange because for some reason we forgot about a HUGE event in our city which would cause such a thing to be in the sky. But it was pretty perfect and made us laugh HYSTERICALLY after a very LONG day. So, it was great! Hope you've all had a fabulous day because all in all...I know I have!

Pet Peeves ~ Do You Have Any?

2010-04-29T20:56:00.002-04:00

Disclaimer: This is not aimed towards anybody at all. I had actually been thinking about my pet peeves at the beginning of the week and will explain once you hear the story. So please don't be upset or think I'm upset with you or anybody else because I'm not! :-)

Pet Peeve #1: When somebody says that they are going to call and don't. And by this I mean, you end up seeing them a few days later and you haven't spoken to them in a while. They have no clue that they had planned on calling and never did. GRRR...just makes me mad. Don't act all innocent! HAHA

Pet Peeve #2: (This was the kicker on Monday which caused me to start thinking about my pet peeves!) When people don't know how to drive or do stupid things while driving. On Monday, I was crossing a one way street (with the Walk Sign). Traffic on the other road (2 directions) had a green light. Well a car was turning LEFT onto the one way road and just sat in the middle of traffic so other cars could not go from the other direction. Because, there were a bunch of people walking across the road. I seriously thought this person was going to just hit us all and not even care. (I wish that I could draw you a picture so it would make more sense but hopefully you understand what I'm saying!)

Anyway...I've got a few other things that urk me but those are the main things. So, what are your pet peeves? Anything that REALLY bugs you?!

License Plates

2010-04-27T22:55:00.004-04:00

I don't know about any of you, but I always find it interesting to find out/figure out what people's license plates mean. You know - the personalized ones. It is just so crazy to try to sound out what it could be or whatever. So, I just thought I'd post a few that I know what they are or have been looking at and trying to figure out.

Take a Look/Guess:

1.
BELY BDS

2.
NEWNTN

3.
PKSILND

4.
ADV MAN

5.
COKE 4US

6.
40BEACH

7.
KIDZRME

8.
GDLVZU

Some of these are pretty obvious, but not all. So, what do you think when you see them? Have you seen any other good license plates or know of friends who have one ~ If so, what are they? Please share. I'd love to see what neat things are out there and also what you think these mean!

Notre Dame

2010-04-26T22:03:00.003-04:00

Yay for a great weekend! Went to visit my brother for the weekend and had a fabulous time.

I flew in on Friday afternoon. A huge group of us went out and had a wonderful dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse! I don't think I've ever had a meal like that before...great food, wine, and company. After dinner, we all went out to one of the bars in town (within walking distance of my brother's place...which is always convenient!). It was a fun night of just hanging out.

(Picture taken Friday night between dinner and going out!)

Then Saturday was the Spring Game for Notre Dame (Blue vs. Gold). My brother's in the MBA program there so we went to the MBA tailgate before the game which was fabulous just like the one in the fall. It's always an entertaining time with this group. It was pretty crumby weather but that didn't stop anybody from having fun! We went to the game and then back to the tailgate...HAHA ~ Some people never even went to the game and just tailgated ALL day long. Then we went to another one of the bars, went "home" and ordered pizza for dinner, took naps, and then continued with the night. A nap in the early night is KEY on a day like this...otherwise you don't make it through the night. TOO much fun, but that's ok. It's needed every once in a while.

Sunday was full of school work and exhaustion! Then I flew back home this morning, picked up my puppy from my parents', and then had class. Now it's going to be time to crash! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend too :-)

Awards and Giveaways

2010-04-21T21:27:00.005-04:00

Yay for receiving awards! They make me smile :-)

I received this award from Whitney over at Everything Happens for a Reason
Thanks Whitney! I love this award...it's SOOO pretty.

The rules for this award are: List ten things that I love, and Pass it on to ten other bloggers!

10 Things I Love:

- I LOVE A - He is wonderful and amazing. I love everything about him and how we've been able to get past the last 4 months together, even though we've been apart!

- I LOVE my family. They mean the world to me.

- I LOVE to bake. I could stay in the kitchen all day long baking - and have actually done this before!

- I LOVE summer. It makes me look forward to going to the beach.

- I LOVE flip flops! I wear flip flops basically year round. I don't really care how cold it is outside...I will still wear them.

- I LOVE working with children. It has always been a passion of mine and I did this for the past two years, and am now back in school to continue working with children.

- I LOVE my puppy (Even if she does drive me CRAZY!). If not for her, I'm not sure how'd I get through this year without A. It's great having her to snuggle with when I'm down, etc.

- I LOVE new clothes. I don't really have the money to go shopping these days, but I just love new clothes. They make me happy.

- I LOVE my friends. I am so blessed to have such a great support system from them and my family.

- I LOVE school work (ok...not really!!) ... but I couldn't think of a 10th thing :-)

10 People I'd Like to Pass this to:
-Lisa at Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right
- Life of An Army Wife at The "D" Word
- Shayla at Sunshine and Sprinkles
- Star Spangled at Star Spangled Stockings
- JG at Me and My SoldierMan
- Ashleigh at A Deployment Diary {in Hawaii!!!}
- Mrs. G.I. Joe at ACU's, Stileto Shoes, and Pretty Pink Tutus
- Expat Girl at The Sand is Different Here
- Steph at Watching Airplanes
- Meg at Harrison Clark

There's a pretty awesome giveaway over at The Unexpected Army Life. Go check it out! I just started following her blog but it seems pretty great. And this giveaway is great. There are multiple chances to win.

- The Grand Prize winner will receive a $50 VISA giftcard and a copy of The Oceans Between Us by Susan Wiggs.

- Then two more people will receive copies of The Oceans Between Us

Army Wives

2010-04-17T21:36:00.003-04:00

I've been having mixed feelings/thoughts about the new season of Army Wives. I have been addicted to the show ever since it began. I am just not sure right now if I'm going to be able to handle watching it while A is gone. It might be too difficult for me, but we'll have to see. I know many of you watch the show, so hopefully you watched last week. It is just that when they showed Joan calling home, I pretty much started to ball. I don't mean just cry. This show makes me cry at some point during almost every episode so I'm used to getting teary while watching. However, it was very different this time. There was more emotion behind it. I guess I will have to see how it goes tomorrow.

How have ya'll dealt with it while your significant other was deployed? Were you able to watch things like this or was it too much?

I Love Surprises!

2010-04-10T23:20:00.003-04:00

...especially when they are from A!!!

Yesterday was a crazy, pretty stressful day at work. I got home at about 4, when I was supposed to be off work at 1. :-(

I got home and was just hanging out, relaxing with the pup, and there's a knock on the door. Hmmm...who could it be? I looked out the peep hole and didn't see anybody. So, I looked out the window and saw the UPS truck pulling away. A package?? For me or the roomie?!

Well...obviously, since you are reading my blog you would guess that it was for me, and you'd be right! I got flowers from A. And as the card said "Just because..." And then there was a list of reasons. It was super cute. My favorite reason would have to be at the end when he said "You're kinda a big deal". HAHA!!! I'm glad he realizes it at least. (The card was so cute...well what he wrote in it...that the roomie said she wanted to vomit when she read it!)

He's so wonderful! My favorite colors. :-)

I Want it Wednesday

2010-04-07T23:37:00.002-04:00

I want the semester to be over! (only 4 weeks left - but a lot of assignments left)

I want it to be the beginning of June so that A is home for his R & R!

I want to know what we are actually going to do while he's home!

I think that's about it for now! Other than the immediate thing of a glass of wine and then bed! :-)

Some Good News!

2010-04-06T21:57:00.003-04:00

My roomie and I received the home of the month award at our apartment complex. This is the first month that they awarded this. It is for having the prettiest, most appealing front porch area! :-) And they posted this sign right in front of our apartment yesterday so that everybody could see :

Some more good news...The Captain Promotions List was posted today and A is on it! YIPPY!! I am so proud of him. :-) --- http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/04/army_capt_040610w/

Mixed Emotions

2010-04-04T22:11:00.002-04:00

Happy Easter to all! I hope you have all had a fabulous day and that the Easter bunny has treated all of you and your children well. However, let us not forget the true meaning behind Easter. It is thanks to Him that we are all here today!

Now, on a more personal note...I am not really sure how to feel/think right now. I spoke to A for a little while this afternoon. It was amazing to hear his voice. :-) However, he commented that he had turned his papers in to go to"X" (the place where his career course would occur). He had been saying for a while that he truly was thinking he would want to get out at the end of his time, which was May 2011. I always told him that whichever thing he chose I was alright with and would support him 100%. (I want to say that this has not changed...I still support him 100%!!). I was just thrown for a loop. I stated "So, you have decided to stay in" and he said that no there were other things that on his contract it is stating his end date is now sometime in 2015. I guess he at some point signed saying that he give extra time in return for something. But what did he get in return? I dunno...I'm confused.

Fortunately, I JUST spoke with my brother about it (he served in the Army for 6 yrs.) and he gave me some suggestions on what A should do to find out more about it. I guess we'll see. I am more than happy to continue supporting his endeavors in the Army and become a part of the Army family at some point. I just wish that I understood more of what was going on. Hopefully I'll figure it out and either way it will all work out. I just don't like having curveballs thrown at me! :-\

SLEEP!

2010-03-31T21:31:00.003-04:00

...or lack there of!

(Until tonight) it had been over a week since I heard from A. I guess this is why I've had trouble sleeping as well as blogging lately. I don't want to complain about not hearing from him, because I know that there are some of you who have not heard from your love in longer than that, or who will never hear their voice again. The past few nights I have just had really restless sleep and then have been super sore all day because I was not able to get comfortable at night. This happen to any of you?! (I'm sure it probably does!) It has just been a long few days and on top of having a lack of sleep I've had a lot (and still have quite a bit) of school work to do. But it's getting there. :-)

After class tonight, I went to church for a presentation given by our pastor on the Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter). It was fantastic. He really explained it in a way which I had never really thought about before. And to make my night...I got home and got a phone call from A almost right after I walked in the door. We didn't talk long, but it was wonderful to hear his voice! Hopefully I'll be able to get some sleep now. YIPPY! (Can't wait!) Good night ya'll!

A Great Few Days

2010-03-27T22:12:00.005-04:00

Since I last posted a few things have happened...including I turned a year older on Thursday! :-) (Yes...that's right. I am now a quarter century old!)

If you've been reading my blog you already know what I got from A! However, I know I have a few recent followers so...this is what I got a brand new pink laptop and purple wireless mouse...look here to see!

So on Thursday night a group of my friends (some from work, school, and the roomie/gang!) went out to dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings. It was an absolutely blast. Here are a few pics for a recap of the night...

Here I am with the roomie!

Smiling for the camera with one of my classmates.

Me with three of my coworkers!

My supervisor (above on bottom, left) made some cupcakes. (Don't they look cute placed in the shape of a fishy!)

And this is what happens when there are extra cupcakes left sitting right in front of the roomie and me. (Thanks roomie for making me laugh! HAHA)

Friday was a pretty low-key day with work in the morning and dinner with my parents. Then today was just great. My roomie and I ran (walked) in a 10K race this morning. It was great. We finished in about an hour and 20 minutes. We felt great afterwards. A little tired now, but that's what happens. It was a great race because there were bands along the way and tons of people on the sides of the street cheering and stuff. It was an overall great time.

Afterwards, I got to spend some time with my nephew who turns 1 tomorrow. I can't believe it. His birthday party was today and he got so many things. His toys are absolutely amazing. If I were still a kid (other than at heart) I would totally steal his toys from him. HEHE!

And then tonight I went out to dinner with my parents for my birthday! Now, I am about to crash because I'm exhausted. Just wanted to touch base since it had been a few days. Hope everyone is doing well and that you are all having a great weekend! Have a happy Sunday! :-)

I Want It Wednesday

2010-03-24T22:57:00.003-04:00

Hmmm...what do I want for the next year of my life?!

...good health (for myself, A, my family, and friends)

...good grades in my classes

...my brother's new job (starts this summer) to go well

...my roomie to find a job (she graduates in May)

...overall happiness

...A to return home safely - and for our future to be able to finally begin

Can't Believe It!

2010-03-23T23:34:00.003-04:00

Today was day 100 for the deployment. (Thanks Expat Girl for counting days...hehe!)

It's been...

100 days since I held his hand.

100 days since I kissed him.

100 days since I hugged him.

100 days since I touched his face.

Can't believe it has already been 100 days! However...we've made it this far and can get through the rest. I love you baby! (I know that you will read this later now that you have started reading!)

PTSD

2010-03-22T19:48:00.002-04:00

First off I want to say that No, I am not just randomly deciding to discuss PTSD on here. However, I was catching up on my blogging last night and came across this topic in a comment and felt the need to provide resources, etc. (I guess that's the counselor in me). A comment in reponse to New Girl on Post's post titled Somewhat Controversial stated that "the armed services need to step up their counseling/PTSD services a bit more." I am not trying to call anybody out or accuse anybody of lying or being wrong. I just feel like not everybody is informed on this topic and it really is something that we all (as spouses, girlfriends, fiances, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters) should be aware of the services that are out there for our loved ones.

So I would like to start with some symptoms of PTSD that you should look for when your loved one returns home:
There are 4 types of symptoms:
-Reliving the event
-Avoiding situations that remind you of the event
-Numbing
-Feeling Keyed Up

Some other common problems which individuals with PTSD may have are:
-Drinking or drug problems
-Feelings of hopelessness, shame, or despair
-Employment problems
-Relationship problems including divorce or violence
-Physical symptoms

Some good resources for you are:

www.ptsdresources.org This site has some videos which may be helpful as well as links to helpful books.
www.ptsd.va.gov This is the link the the Deparment of Veterans Affairs' National Center for PTSD.
www.mentalhealth.va.gov Through this link you can find additional information such as that at: www.mentalhealth.va.gov/OEFOIF/OEF_OIF_PTSD_andDepression.asp
At this site there is information on What is PTSD, Treatment for PTSD, Depression and Trauma, and Depression.
www.mentalhealth.va.gov/suicide_prevention/index.asp This site is the VA's site for suicide prevention. The phone number for the suicide prevention lifeline is 1-800-273-TALK
(8255). At the bottom of this website there is an area title "Get Help" which has information for Resource Guide for Family Members, Talking to your 4-8 year old, Talking to your 9-13 year old, and Talking to your 14-18 year old. The information about talking to your child is helping you talk about a suicide attempt in your family.

The most important thing for you to do if you think that your loved one has PTSD or is having suidicial ideation is to seek help. The links above will help you receive the help that you need.

I apologize to anybody who does not want to hear about this, and if you are offended that I am even talking about this I am truly sorry. I don't mean to offend anybody but this is unfortunately reality and I unfortunately have had to face some of this in my past. Therefore, I have learned a lot over the years and have attended multiple informational sessions on PTSD/Suicide Prevention. This is not a full overview of EVERYthing out there, but a piece of what the VA has to offer. You can find more on their website. If you have any questions please let me know and I will do my best to answer.

My Birthday Present :-)

2010-03-21T22:45:00.004-04:00

Yes...I know, my birthday is not for another 4 days. However, I already got my present from A, and it is absolutely amazing!!! I am actually using it right now to write this post. Yes, that's right...A NEW COMPUTER!! He ordered it and had it mailed to my parents so that my mom could wrap it. Then today I went to my parents and talked to A on webcam while opening it. Therefore, it was like he was there. :-) It was perfect. The week will be too crazy which is why it happened early. Of course that really made for a happy me, because although I love surprises, I am horrible at them when I know they are coming.

So here it is...(I like how you can see my old comp in the background!)

And to make it even better...it's PINK!

And I also got a wireless mouse which is a purple/pinkish color!

He knows me so well. It's absolutely great! I had just been complaining last week that my old computer kept freezing on me. However, he had already order this. I guess he was getting annoyed with my computer himself. (My P key was messed up because Jewels had walked on my keyboard and pulled it up once, My screen was SUPER floopy because it was taken back and forth to work for a year, And there were many times we'd be talking to Facebook or trying to get on Skype and my computer would freeze or reboot on it's own and take FOREVER!) Such a wonderful gift from an amazing boyfriend. :-) Oh how I love him and he loves me!

Speechless...Which is Difficult for Me!

2010-03-18T21:39:00.003-04:00

I have just been catching up on the blog world for the day and found out about the sad news of the loss of one of our Marines - the husband of Rachel (23) and father of Ariana (2 months old). Ariana has never met her father, but I believe that he is there now and always will be there with her. She now has somebody constantly watching over her. Do these thoughts make the terrible tragedy of their loss any easier? Of course not. But we have to TRY to move on after something like this happens. My thoughts and prayers are with Rachel, Ariana, and all of their family. I cannot imagine (nor do I want to) being in their shoes. But they are strong and will get through it with all the support around them.

If you would like to stop by and leave some thoughts with Rachel you can go to her page, A Little Pink in a World of Camo

I Want it Wednesday

2010-03-17T23:10:00.003-04:00

I want to know what A has gotten me for my birthday! Yes...that's right, my birthday is just a week (and a day) away. :-) He keeps talking about how wonderful a boyfriend he is and how the present he got me is the most wonderful present ever, blah blah blah, etc. It's driving me CRAZY! I keep trying to guess but he won't tell me. And to make matters worse (kinda), I asked if he was mailing it to me and his response was "Well not to you directly!" What does that mean? So I tried guessing who he could be sending it to in order to have them give it to me. I am pretty sure that it's my parents, but he's just being a sneaky little booger! But, I love him anyway. He said he didn't want to send it to me because I would have opened it early and I explained that I've never opened a present early without him being here telling me to open something. Therefore, I accused him of not trusting me! HAHA...he said not to turn this around on him, but what was I supposed to do? Just let him get away with teasing me and giving me a hard time?! I don't think so. He said it's not that he doesn't trust me, but that it needs to be wrapped first! Hmmm...I dunno. I guess we'll find out in a week what it is! Can't wait.

Here are some of the things that I've guessed:

-necklace

-plane ticket

-vacation with him

-clothes

-new cell phone

-charms for my bracelet

-shoes

-iPod touch

-gift cards/certificates

I just want to know! But I'll try not to ruin the surprise for myself.

3 Months Down

2010-03-14T21:37:00.003-04:00

As of today, A has officially been gone for 3 months. I can't believe it. A lot has gone right, and a lot has gone wrong over these months. But throughout it all, we have always supported each other. He will have his R & R in about another 3 months...I just can't wait to be back in his arms again. I miss him like crazy, but knw that he is always there if I need to talk, need a laugh, need to cry, or really...just if I need ANYthing! Loving him always and constantly :-)

What a Night - FANTASTIC Concert

2010-03-13T00:10:00.006-05:00

Went to see Trace Adkins and Martina McBride tonight with my parents (yes, I really am that cool :-) )! It was fabulous...and our seats were amazing. We were literally to the left of the stage, in line with the stage as far as height. It was perfect! Both performances were wonderful.

Go Martina!

"I've got a Mustang, It'll do 80, You Don't Have to Be My Baby!"

And then there's Trace Adkins.

"You're Doin' All you Can, To Fit in Them Old Jeans, You Want that Body Back You Had at 17"

I Want It Wednesday

2010-03-10T21:26:00.006-05:00

I want to brag about my roommate and her talent! She and our other friend made 2 cakes this week. They are absolutely beautiful. Look...

This cake is for one of her classmate's boyfriends. He is a med student and it's his Bday! (Look at all that detailing...and yes, it is ALL edible!)

40 And Fabulous...This is for my roomie's boss' surprise party at work this week. It's so pretty.

And look how professional it looks with the box!

Look at My Mail!

2010-03-08T22:46:00.004-05:00

I got a package in the mail today, from...A!!!!! :-)

And look at what he sent me:

Army Wives...one of my favorite TV shows!

The Lovely Bones...which has not come out yet in stores!

He's so wonderful and spoils me oh so much! Oh how I love him. :-)

A Relaxing, Productive, and Smiling Day!

2010-03-07T22:55:00.002-05:00

I slept in today! (OOPS!) But hey...I deserve to get a good night's sleep every once in a while. Once I got up at about 11, I got some school work done for a few hours and relaxed for a little while working. It was great getting stuff done...and to make it better, I was in my PJ's the entire time! :-) Then I went to church (since I didn't get up in the mornng...and mommy joined me even though she went this morning) and then had dinner with my parents. To make the day complete, I got home after dinner and got to talk with A on Skype for about half an hour. Unfortunately, it was about 4 am there so he was exhausted and I felt bad keeping him up, but it was a great conversation. We hadn't really had a chance to talk at all this week with me being busy with school and he's been busy getting prepared for the elections. It sounds as if everything went as well as it could have been hoped. So that's good! Now that I've been able to see his face and hear his voice, I feel so much better. Therefore, it's time for me to get some sleep and have sweet, wonderful dreams! Good night all!

Please Tell Me This Is The End...and I Want It Wednesday

2010-03-03T21:52:00.004-05:00

For the past 2 years, before starting school full time in the fall, I taught 1st grade. I absolutely loved my job and the people that I worked with. However, I wanted to get my master's and if I was going to do it, this was the time! Well...I just found out that the father of one of the other first grade teachers passed away this evening. This is the third person that I "know" who has passed away in the past week. Is it over now? I know it's important to see that people who have left us are in a better place now and to celebrate their life. However, I just can't do it all the time...especially when one of them was only 31 years old. I hate seeing people sad, and for that matter...being sad myself. So I guess that I will be heading to Newport News again this weekend to spend some time with my past coworkers and be there for my friend. I love you Susan, stay strong! Your father was a wonderful man but I am glad that he is now out of pain and spending time with our Savior!

Now...time to try to be happy! What do I want this week, you ask? Hmmm...I want to go to the movies with some friends. These are some of the movies which I would like to see:

I still really want to see this...but there's a part of me that isn't sure if I can take watching it right now! So we'll see what happens.

I just think this would be a good laugh. I mean really...The Tooth Fairy

I never got to see this when it first came out and really wanted to. It is apparently still in some theaters so I hope to either see it soon or rent/buy it once it comes out! I've only heard good things and it seems like a great story!

A New Week...and a New Month!

2010-03-01T22:33:00.002-05:00

It was a stressful past week and weekend. I am definitely ready for a new beginning and what better to do that with a fresh week and month. Not only is it a new start, it's also the month of my birthday! YAY...something to look forward to at the end of the month. I can't wait (well kinda...cuz I'm not ready to get old!). :-) So here's to a new beginning and this month starting and ending better than last!

Prayers are Needed and Greatly Appreciated!

2010-02-26T22:59:00.003-05:00

I'm sure most, if not all, of you prayer for our service men and women who are making a sacrifice for our country. However, right now I am asking that you please say an extra prayer for A, his company, and their families. I don't really know what to say right now, but I spoke to A this evening and he informed me that they had a bad week which ended in a way that none of them ever imagined...They found out this morning that the wife of one of their men had passed away. None of us know what has happened, but she was 31 years old and this is of course a tragic event for her family and friends...and especially her husband. He is on his way home to be with family. I pray that he has safe travels and that he is able to receive some comfort from those who are close to him.

But not only is this hard on close family and friends...it sounds like a lot of the guys overseas are having trouble with this as well. A said that it really made them put everything else that happened this week into perspective and start thinking about the important things and what really matters. He seemed to be in total shock and I was pretty much speechless on the phone. Well...I've done a lot of rambling at this point (obviously I don't stay speechless for long). I was planning for this to be short but then I got writing. So mainly and most importantly...say some prayers and remember that life can change in an instant so take in everything that is happening around you and enjoy all the time that you have with your friends and family. Don't take anything for granted!

Five!

2010-02-25T22:41:00.002-05:00

Question 1: Where were you five years ago?
1. I was a sophomore in college at James Madison University.
2. I was studying Early Childhood Education
3. I was in a sorority.
4. I was probably at a fraternity party 5 years ago today!
5. I was single and loving it!

Question 2: What is (was) on your to-do list today?
1. Work
2. Mentor High School Student
3. Class
4. Eat Dinner with Daddy
5. Go to Lowe's with Roomie

Question 3: What five snacks do you enjoy?
1. Triscuits
2. Chocolate Chip Cookies
3. Popcorn
4. Ice Cream
5. Sour Cream & Onion Chips

Question 4: What five places have you lived?
1. Frankfurt, Germany
2. San Antonio, TX
3. West Point, NY
4. Richmond, VA
5. Harrisonburg, VA (and then also other places in VA)

Question 5: What five things would you do if you were a billionaire?
1. Donate money to St. Jude's Children's Hospital
2. Donate money to Breast Cancer Research
3. Buy a new car...not sure which one (if you ask A, I need to buy a truck)
4. Buy a house or condo (only problem is I don't know where I would buy) :-)
5. Pay my parents back for all they've done to support me!

I took this survey from Katie F. at The Life of an Army Wife. I absolutely love looking at her blog every day. She's usually very uplifting and positive but also down to Earth!

I Want It Wednesday

2010-02-24T22:42:00.004-05:00

First and foremost...I want to pray to God that He welcome Mr. Art Carroll into his kingdom and watch over his friends and family as they mourn his loss. This man did so much good for others and was a dear friend of my father's. He will be missed by many, but most importantly the memory of him will never be forgotten. We all love you!

The other thing which I want for tonight is to understand why bad things happen to perfectly innocent people, especially children. I am referring to the shooting at Deer Creek Middle School in Littleton, CO. I just don't get it. What did these kids do wrong? Hasn't this city gone through enough of this stuff?

Along with this I want to say..."Thank You David Benke for doing your job and protecting the young children at this school! If not for your heroic actions, who knows how many more students and teachers could have been injured!"

Gangs!?!

2010-02-23T23:03:00.002-05:00

I went to a presentation tonight given by the county police on gangs. I actually am going to be doing two projects this semester on gangs.

What do you think? Are there gangs where you live?

Grad School

2010-02-22T22:48:00.002-05:00

I have really been overwhelmed this week with school work which is why I have not been able to post every day. I've been able to get everything done for school but it just all of a sudden starting getting crazy for about a week. Hopefully at this point I have been able to get myself caught up and a little ahead so that I am able to relax some more and get on here every day again. I have missed blogging because I feel like I have gotten a good group of followers already who will just "listen" to whatever I have to say and be supportive. I also really enjoy reading everybody else's blogs because it's so interesting to see what everybody is doing and quite a few blogs alway make me laugh. :-) But, I guess it's a good thing that I have my priorities straight and realize that I have to get school work done before I can be blogging. (Unfortunately I guess school's more important!) Hope to really be back into the blogging world tomorrow. Good night all! Thanks for being such great friends!

A Fantastic Friday Night

2010-02-20T00:13:00.004-05:00

I first need to say thanks to some Blogging Beauties! I recently received 2 more awards! :-) YAY!!! I love awards.

The first award is the Beautiful Blogger Award which I received from Lisa at must be doin' somethin' right.

The rules of the game:
1. Thank and link to the person that gave you the award.
2. Pass this award on to 15 bloggers you've recently discoverd and whom you think are fantastic.
3. Contact said Blogs and let them know they've won.
4. State 7 things about yourself.

7 things about me:
1. I cheered for 8 years, both for school and competitively.
2. I have only really had 3 boyfriends.
3. I have had 10 different addresses in the last 6 years.
4. I had lived in 3 different places in the first 2 years of my life.
5. 6. 7. Having trouble thinking of things that I have no already posted on here for other awards! :-)

I would like to pass this award on to:
Candace at The Future Mr. and Mrs. Edward Paul Mallue Jr
Meg at Harrison Clark
Steph at Watching Airplanes
...and anybody else who does not have it yet.

I received the second award from Miss Jody at Miss Fancy Pants. This award is the Just Because Award.

All you do for this award is:
-accept the award
-post it on your blog
-link back to the person
-pass it on if you'd like

Thanks lovely ladies for the awards. Anybody who does not have these awards yet please help yourself. I just know it's difficult to get the same award multiple times and I don't know who all has gotten them yet!

So...for my night. I had a great time. A group of us girls from my program at school got together at one of the other girl's apartment. It was great...wine, food, and just good conversation. It was nice to just get out for a little and do something.

I Want it Wednesday

2010-02-17T21:41:00.003-05:00

First of all I want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Expat Girl! (It's her birthday tomorrow!) I hope that you have an amazingly wonderful day tomorrow. I'm so glad that you chose to live with your in-laws during the deployment so that we could meet. I can't believe what a small world this really is. It's great having support from somebody close by who really understands it all!

Second, I want to say Thanks to all of you who responded to last night's post. I appreciate the support and am sure many of you understand. It's just a sticky situation because I don't want him to be upset and I of course also don't want his parents to be mad about anything. So, hopefully it will all get worked out and everything will be fine. All I really want is for him to be happy and be able to relax during his R & R!

Lastly, I want to say "Have a wonderful night and a great day tomorrow. Good night to you all!"

A Need to Vent

2010-02-16T23:16:00.004-05:00

Just so you know...I'm about to vent/rant so be prepared. If you don't want to read it...then don't. But if you want to hear what I have to say...great!

So, A and I have been talking about plans for his R & R, but nothing has been planned. Many ideas have been thrown out there, but we had not decided the best option. He really thought it would be fun and a good idea to go to Europe or do something out of the states since he gets a ticket to anywhere. So that would mean it would just be a matter of getting me somewhere. All along I have agreed with him that this would be a lot of fun...but asked "Do you need to get home to see your parents? Or will they come with us?"

I guess he was talking to his sister last night and told her about the idea of going to Europe. Well...she tells his parents and they BLEW up. I just don't get it. REALLY?!?! Your son is in a war zone fighting for the freedom that we have and you are going to send him an email about being upset that he would want to go to Europe. How about you TALK to him first and see what he's actually thinking about before you react. I mean seriously...he doesn't even have a passport yet so he ain't going anywhere until he gets that done. And again...have I mentioned...HE'S IN A WAR ZONE!!! Although it is possible for him to get a passport, it's not a priority and he's a little busy. So, if he is able to get it done wonderful...but I'm not counting on it. All I know though is that if I were in his position and my parents went off about it, this would be my reaction to them..."Fine, if you are going to get mad at me for that, then I will definitely be going to Europe and now I don't want you to join me there!" :-) Yes...I love my parents (and my mom reads my blog daily) but I don't deal with BS. Which my parents are aware of which is why they would think before they reacted and talk to me about it rather than blowing up. Anyway...I tried to calm A down earlier. I could tell that he was really upset and annoyed because he couldn't believe that this is what they are concerned about when he's going through all he's going through in Iraq right now (Obviously I can't get into all of that...but I was almost in tears worrying about him, but I held them back!). And now I'm tearing just writing about this.

Well to those of you who have read...thanks for listening and letting me vent. It just really hurts me to see him upset and all I want is for him to have fun during his R & R. And hopefully we can make that happen no matter what we end up doing.

Well I'm off to bed now. And I had not posted a pic of me in my new jammies yet so here it is. There I am on my couch with my Vermont Teddy Bear that A gave me last year for my birthday. I thought it was too cute that we pretty much matched! :-)